| page.title=Preparing for Release |
| @jd:body |
| |
| <div id="qv-wrapper"> |
| <div id="qv"> |
| <h2>Quickview</h2> |
| <ul> |
| <li>Learn which resources you'll need to release your app.</li> |
| <li>Find out how to configure and build your app for release.</li> |
| <li>Learn best practices for releasing your app.</li> |
| </ul> |
| <h2>In this document</h2> |
| <ol> |
| <li><a href="#publishing-intro">Introduction</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#publishing-gather">Gathering Materials and Resources</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#publishing-configure">Configuring Your Application</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#publishing-build">Building Your Application</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#publishing-resources">Preparing External Servers and Resources</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#publishing-test">Testing Your Application for Release</a></li> |
| </ol> |
| <h2>See also</h2> |
| <ol> |
| <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/publishing_overview.html">Publishing Overview</a></li> |
| <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/app-signing.html">Signing Your Applications</a></li> |
| <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/publishing.html">Publishing on Google Play</a></li> |
| </ol> |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <p>Before you distribute your Android application to users you need to prepare it for release. The |
| preparation process is a required <a href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/index.html">development |
| task</a> for all Android applications and is the first step in the publishing process (see figure |
| 1).</p> |
| |
| <p>When you prepare your application for release, you configure, build, and test a release |
| version of your application. The configuration tasks are straightforward, involving basic code |
| cleanup and code modification tasks that help optimize your application. The build process is |
| similar to the debug build process and can be done using JDK and Android SDK tools. The testing |
| tasks serve as a final check, ensuring that your application performs as expected under real-world |
| conditions. When you are finished preparing your application for release you have a signed |
| <code>.apk</code> file, which you can distribute directly to users or distribute through an |
| application marketplace such as Google Play.</p> |
| |
| <p>This document summarizes the main tasks you need to perform to prepare your application for |
| release. The tasks that are described in this document apply to all Android applications regardless |
| how they are released or distributed to users. If you are releasing your application through Google |
| Play, you should also read <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/publishing.html">Publishing on |
| Google Play</a> to be sure your release-ready application satisfies all Google Play |
| requirements.</p> |
| |
| <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> As a best practice, your application should meet all of your |
| release criteria for functionality, performance, and stability before you perform the tasks outlined |
| in this document.</p> |
| |
| <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_overview_prep.png" |
| alt="Shows how the preparation process fits into the development process" |
| height="190" |
| id="figure1" /> |
| <p class="img-caption"> |
| <strong>Figure 1.</strong> Preparing for release is a required <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/index.html">development |
| task</a> and is the first step in the publishing process. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h2 id="publishing-intro">Introduction</h2> |
| |
| <p>To release your application to users you need to create a release-ready package that users can |
| install and run on their Android-powered devices. The release-ready package contains the same |
| components as the debug <code>.apk</code> file — compiled source code, resources, manifest |
| file, and so on — and it is built using the same build tools. However, unlike the debug |
| <code>.apk</code> file, the release-ready <code>.apk</code> file is signed with your own certificate |
| and it is optimized with the zipalign tool.</p> |
| |
| <div class="figure" style="width:331px"> |
| <img src="{@docRoot}images/publishing/publishing_preparing.png" |
| alt="Shows the five tasks you perform to prepare your app for release" |
| height="450" /> |
| <p class="img-caption"> |
| <strong>Figure 2.</strong> You perform five main tasks to prepare your application for |
| release. |
| </p> |
| </div> |
| |
| <p>The signing and optimization tasks are usually seamless if you are building your application with |
| Eclipse and the ADT plugin or with the Ant build script (included with the Android SDK). For |
| example, you can use the Eclipse Export Wizard to compile, sign, and optimize your application all |
| at once. You can also configure the Ant build script to do the same when you build from the command |
| line.</p> |
| |
| <p>To prepare your application for release you typically perform five main tasks (see figure 2). |
| Each main task may include one or more smaller tasks depending on how you are releasing your |
| application. For example, if you are releasing your application through Google Play you may want |
| to add special filtering rules to your manifest while you are configuring your application for |
| release. Similarly, to meet Google Play publishing guidelines you may have to prepare screenshots |
| and create promotional text while you are gathering materials for release.</p> |
| |
| <p>You usually perform the tasks listed in figure 2 after you have throroughly debugged and tested |
| your application. The Android SDK contains several tools to help you test and debug your Android |
| applications. For more information, see the <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/debugging/index.html">Debugging</a> and <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/testing/index.html">Testing</a> sections in the Dev Guide.</p> |
| |
| <h2 id="publishing-gather">Gathering Materials and Resources</h2> |
| |
| <p>To begin preparing your application for release you need to gather several supporting items. At a |
| minimum this includes cryptographic keys for signing your application and an application icon. You |
| might also want to include an end-user license agreement.</p> |
| |
| <h4 id="publishing-keys">Cryptographic keys</h4> |
| |
| <p>The Android system requires that each installed application be digitally signed with a |
| certificate that is owned by the application's developer (that is, a certificate for which the |
| developer holds the private key). The Android system uses the certificate as a means of identifying |
| the author of an application and establishing trust relationships between applications. The |
| certificate that you use for signing does not need to be signed by a certificate authority; the |
| Android system allows you to sign your applications with a self-signed certificate. To learn about |
| certificate requirements, see <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/app-signing.html#cert">Obtain a |
| suitable private key</a>.</p> |
| |
| <p class="caution"><strong>Important:</strong> Your application must be signed with a cryptographic |
| key whose validity period ends after 22 October 2033.</p> |
| |
| <p>You may also have to obtain other release keys if your application accesses a service or uses a |
| third-party library that requires you to use a key that is based on your private key. For example, |
| if your application uses the <a |
| href="http://code.google.com/android/add-ons/google-apis/reference/com/google/android/maps/MapView.html">MapView</a> |
| class, which is part of the <a |
| href="http://code.google.com/android/add-ons/google-apis/maps-overview.html">Google Maps external |
| library</a>, you will need to register your application with the Google Maps service and obtain |
| a Maps API key. For information about getting a Maps API key, see <a |
| href="http://code.google.com/android/add-ons/google-apis/mapkey.html"> Obtaining a Maps API |
| key</a>.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Application Icon</h4> |
| |
| <p>Be sure you have an application icon and that it meets the recommended <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/practices/ui_guidelines/icon_design_launcher.html">icon guidelines</a>. Your |
| application's icon helps users identify your application on a device's Home |
| screen and in the Launcher window. It also appears in Manage Applications, My Downloads, and |
| elsewhere. In addition, publishing services such as Google Play display your icon to users.</p> |
| |
| <p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> If you are releasing your application on Google Play, you |
| need to create a high resolution |
| version of your icon. See <a |
| href="https://www.google.com/support/androidmarket/developer/bin/answer.py?answer=1078870">Graphic |
| Assets for your Application</a> for more information.</p> |
| |
| <h4>End-user License Agreement</h4> |
| |
| <p>Consider preparing an End User License Agreement (EULA) for your application. A EULA can help |
| protect your person, organization, and intellectual property, and we recommend that you provide one |
| with your application.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Miscellaneous Materials</h4> |
| |
| <p>You might also have to prepare promotional and marketing materials to publicize your application. |
| For example, if you are releasing your application on Google Play you will need to prepare some |
| promotional text and you will need to create screenshots of your application. For more |
| information, see |
| <a href="https://www.google.com/support/androidmarket/developer/bin/answer.py?answer=1078870"> |
| Graphic Assets for your Application</a></p> |
| |
| <h2 id="publishing-configure">Configuring Your Application for Release</h2> |
| |
| <p>After you gather all of your supporting materials you can start configuring your application |
| for release. This section provides a summary of the configuration changes we recommend that you make |
| to your source code, resource files, and application manifest prior to releasing your application. |
| Although most of the configuration changes listed in this section are optional, they are |
| considered good coding practices and we encourage you to implement them. In some cases, |
| you may have already made these configuration changes as part of your development process.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Choose a good package name</h4> |
| |
| <p>Make sure you choose a package name that is suitable over the life of your application. You |
| cannot change the package name after you distribute your application to users. You can set the |
| package name in application's manifest file. For more information, see the <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html#package">package</a> attribute |
| documentation.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Turn off logging and debugging</h4> |
| |
| <p>Make sure you deactivate logging and disable the debugging option before you build your |
| application for release. You can deactivate logging by removing calls to |
| {@link android.util.Log} methods in your source files. You can disable debugging by removing the |
| <code>android:debuggable</code> attribute from the <code><application></code> tag in your |
| manifest file, or by setting the <code>android:debuggable</code> attribute to |
| <code>false</code> in your manifest file. Also, remove any log files or static test files that |
| were created in your project.</p> |
| |
| <p>Also, you should remove all {@link android.os.Debug} tracing calls that you |
| added to your code, such as {@link android.os.Debug#startMethodTracing()} and |
| {@link android.os.Debug#stopMethodTracing()} method calls.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Clean up your project directories</h4> |
| |
| <p>Clean up your project and make sure it conforms to the directory structure described in <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/projects/index.html#ApplicationProjects">Android Projects</a>. |
| Leaving stray or orphaned files in your project can prevent your application from compiling and |
| cause your application to behave unpredictably. At a minimum you should do the following cleanup |
| tasks:</p> |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li>Review the contents of your <code>jni/</code>, <code>lib/</code>, and <code>src/</code> |
| directories. The <code>jni/</code> directory should contain only source files associated with the |
| <a href="{@docRoot}sdk/ndk/index.html">Android NDK</a>, such as |
| <code>.c</code>, <code>.cpp</code>, <code>.h</code>, and <code>.mk</code> files. The |
| <code>lib/</code> directory should contain only third-party library files or private library |
| files, including prebuilt shared and static libraries (for example, <code>.so</code> files). The |
| <code>src/</code> directory should contain only the source files for your application |
| (<code>.java</code> and <code>.aidl</code> files). The <code>src/</code> directory should not |
| contain any <code>.jar</code> files.</li> |
| <li>Check your project for private or proprietary data files that your application does not use |
| and remove them. For example, look in your project's <code>res/</code> directory for old |
| drawable files, layout files, and values files that you are no longer using and delete them.</li> |
| <li>Check your <code>lib/</code> directory for test libraries and remove them if they are no |
| longer being used by your application.</li> |
| <li>Review the contents of your <code>assets/</code> directory and your <code>res/raw/</code> |
| directory for raw asset files and static files that you need to update or remove prior to |
| release.</li> |
| </ul> |
| |
| <h4>Review and update your manifest settings</h4> |
| |
| <p>Verify that the following manifest items are set correctly:</p> |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-permission-element.html"> |
| <uses-permission></a> element |
| <p>You should specify only those permissions that are relevant and required for your application.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li><code>android:icon</code> and <code>android:label</code> attributes |
| <p>You must specify values for these attributes, which are located in the |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/application-element.html"><application></a> |
| element.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li><code>android:versionCode</code> and <code>android:versionName</code> attributes. |
| <p>We recommend that you specify values for these attributes, which are located in the |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/manifest-element.html"><manifest></a> |
| element. For more information see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/versioning.html">Versioning your Application</a>.</p> |
| </li> |
| </ul> |
| |
| <p>There are several additional manifest elements that you can set if you are releasing your |
| application on Google Play. For example, the <code>android:minSdkVersion</code> and |
| <code>android:targetSdkVersion</code> attributes, which are located in the <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"> <uses-sdk></a> element. For more |
| information about these and other Google Play settings, see <a |
| href="{@docRoot}/guide//appendix/market-filters.html">Filters on Google Play</a>.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Address compatibility issues</h4> |
| |
| <p>Android provides several tools and techniques to make your application compatible with a wide |
| range of devices. To make your application available to the largest number of users, consider |
| doing the following:</p> |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li><strong>Add support for multiple screen configurations</strong> |
| <p>Make sure you meet the |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/practices/screens_support.html#screen-independence"> |
| best practices for supporting multiple screens</a>. By supporting multiple screen configurations |
| you can create an application that functions properly and looks good on any of the screen sizes |
| supported by Android.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li><strong>Optimize your application for Android 3.0 devices.</strong> |
| <p>If your application is designed for devices older than Android 3.0, make it compatible |
| with Android 3.0 devices by following the guidelines and best practices described in |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/practices/optimizing-for-3.0.html">Optimizing Apps for Android 3.0 |
| </a>.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li><strong>Consider using the Support Library</strong> |
| <p>If your application is designed for devices running Android 3.x, make your application |
| compatible with older versions of Android by adding the |
| <a href="{@docRoot}sdk/compatibility-library.html">Support Library</a> to your |
| application project. The Support Library provides static support libraries that you can add to |
| your Android application, which enables you to use APIs that are either not available on |
| older platform versions or use utility APIs that are not part of the framework APIs.</p> |
| </li> |
| </ul> |
| |
| <h4>Update URLs for servers and services</h4> |
| |
| <p>If your application accesses remote servers or services, make sure you are using the production |
| URL or path for the server or service and not a test URL or path.</p> |
| |
| <h4>Implement Licensing (if you are releasing on Google Play)</h4> |
| |
| <p>If you are releasing a paid application through Google Play, consider adding support for |
| Google Play Licensing. Licensing lets you control access to your application based on whether the |
| current user has purchased it. Using Google Play Licensing is optional even if you are |
| releasing your app through Google Play.</p> |
| |
| <p>For more information about Google Play Licensing Service and how to use it in your |
| application, see <a href="{@docRoot}guide/market/licensing.html">Application Licensing</a>.</p> |
| |
| <h2 id="publishing-build">Building Your Application for Release</h2> |
| |
| <p>After you finish configuring your application you can build it into a release-ready |
| <code>.apk</code> fle that is signed and optimized. The JDK includes the tools for signing the |
| <code>.apk</code> file (Keytool and Jarsigner); the Android SDK includes the tools for compiling and |
| optimizing the <code>.apk</code> file. If you are using Eclipse with the ADT plugin or you are using |
| the Ant build script from the command line, you can automate the entire build process.</p> |
| |
| <h3>Building with Eclipse</h3> |
| |
| <p>You can use the Eclipse Export Wizard to build a release-ready <code>.apk</code> file that is |
| signed with your private key and optimized. To learn how to run the Export Wizard, see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/app-signing.html#ExportWizard">Compile and sign with Eclipse |
| ADT</a>. The Export Wizard compiles your application for release, signs your application with your |
| private key, and optimizes your application with the zipalign tool. The Export Wizard should run |
| successfully if you have run or debugged your application from Eclipse and you have no errors in |
| your application (see <a href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/building/building-eclipse.html">Building |
| and Running from Eclipse with ADT</a> for more information.</p> |
| |
| <p>The Export Wizard assumes that you have a <a href="#billing-keys">certificate and private key</a> |
| suitable for signing your application. If you do not have a suitable certificate and private key, |
| the Export Wizard will help you generate one (see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/app-signing.html">Signing Your Applications</a> for more |
| information about the signing process and signing guidelines.</p> |
| |
| <h3>Building with Ant</h3> |
| |
| <p>You can use the Ant build script (included in the Android SDK) to build a release-ready |
| <code>.apk</code> file that is signed with your private key and optimized. To learn how to do this, |
| see <a href="{@docRoot}guide/developing/building/building-cmdline.html#ReleaseMode">Building in |
| Release Mode</a>. This build method assumes you have a <a href="#billing-keys">certificate and |
| private key</a> suitable for signing your application. If you do not have a suitable certificate and |
| private key, the Export Wizard will help you generate one (see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/app-signing.html">Signing Your Applications</a> for more |
| information about the signing process and signing guidelines.</p> |
| |
| <h2 id="publishing-resources">Preparing External Servers and Resources</h2> |
| |
| <p>If your application relies on a remote server, make sure the server is secure and that it is |
| configured for production use. This is particularly important if you are implementing <a |
| href="{@docRoot}guide/market/billing/index.html">in-app billing</a> in your application and you are |
| performing the signature verification step on a remote server.</p> |
| |
| <p>Also, if your application fetches content from a remote server or a real-time service (such as a |
| content feed), be sure the content you are providing is up to date and production-ready.</p> |
| |
| <h2 id="publishing-test">Testing Your Application for Release</h2> |
| |
| <p>Testing the release version of your application helps ensure that your application runs properly |
| under realistic device and network conditions. Ideally, you should test your application on at least |
| one handset-sized device and one tablet-sized device to verify that your user interface elements are |
| sized correctly and that your application's performance and battery efficiency are acceptable.</p> |
| |
| <p>As a starting point for testing, see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/testing/what_to_test.html">What to Test</a>. This article provides |
| a summary of common Android situations that you should consider when you are testing. When you are |
| done testing and you are satisfied that the release version of your application |
| behaves correctly, you can release your application to users. For more information, see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/publishing_overview.html#publishing-release">Releasing Your |
| Application to Users</a>. If you are publishing your application on Google Play, see |
| <a href="{@docRoot}guide/publishing/publishing.html">Publishing on Google Play</a>.</p> |
| |
| |